Colonel James Parker, an African trader, is broke, but Harry Holt, on hearing of a legend of an "elephant's graveyard", is determined to find it, and make himself, Parker & Parker's daughter Jane rich. En route, they encounter rogue elephants, hostile natives, and a refugee from "Muscle Beach" who doesn't talk much, but has a bachelor pad in the trees, hangs out with Chimps, and takes a shine to Jane. After their entire safari is killed or run off by savage natives, the remaining party make a dangerous trek over a mountain range, one of them falls to his doom, and the rest are nearly killed by blood-thirsty pygmies (or the nearest equivalent on a low budget) who use ropes to drag Jane's father to a firey death, before an elephant herd breaks up the party. Finally, Harry finds the elephants' graveyard, but Jane, crazy enough, decides to stay behind in "paradise" with the un-named "ape man".
If all this sounds familiar to you, it's because MGM-- that once-great studio-- inexplicably decided to remake their 1932 classic epic TARZAN THE APE MAN, in color, but with virtually NO budget (or talent) at all. Most are familiar with the stock footage reused from TARZAN THE APE MAN, TARZAN AND HIS MATE (both filmed in B&W, by the way) and KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1950), plus a major prop recycled from THE PRODIGAL (1955). But let's dive further...
The producer was Al Zimbalist. This is the man responsible for such "classics" as ROBOT MONSTER (oh, geez!!!), CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON, KING DINOSAUR and VALLEY OF THE DRAGONS. Need I say more? WHAT was MGM thinking? Across town, Sy Weintraub was kicking A** reinvigorating the Tarzan series with TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE, and followed it up with TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT, and MGM gave us THIS? Why? WHY? (Yes, I know, "remakes" always seem like a good idea to soul-less, talent-less accountants.)
THIS was the film, no doubt, that inspired me to often yell at my TV while watching jungle movies, "SEE Tarzan battle the STUFFED LEOPARD!"
Denny Miller, a handsome, likable enough guy, surprisingly had quite a career doing mostly supporting roles in TV shows for decades after this. A shame this wasn't a MUCH-better film than it was.
Cesare Danove, whose "Harry Holt" isn't one fraction as likable as Neil Hamilton's was in the original, also had quite a successful career, but in my mind, will forever be remembered as "Carmine", the Mayor in ANIMAL HOUSE (1978).
Robert Douglas, almost invisible as Jane's father, actually appeared in some prestige films over the years, including THE FOUNTAINHEAD, IVANHOE, the 1952 remake of THE PRISONER OF ZENDA, KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADERs, and much later, was the voice of "Prince Barin" in the epic Filmation cartoon FLASH GORDON: THE GREATEST ADVENTURE OF ALL (1979).
Joanna Barnes, who's almost lifeless as "Jane", also had quite a career in TV over the years, but the one thing she really stands out in my mind for is something I was never able to see until last year: 21 BEACON STREET, a short-lived summer replacement series that apparently helped inspire MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. I doubt this film did her any favors.
One thing (among countless others) I couldn't figure. Since Denny's (they never once call him Tarzan) "tree-house" was much-more cozy & civilized than the tree-bound lean-to in the 1932 film was, WHY did Jane act so terrified of him when she woke up there? (Let's just call it "bad writing" and leave it at that.)
If all this sounds familiar to you, it's because MGM-- that once-great studio-- inexplicably decided to remake their 1932 classic epic TARZAN THE APE MAN, in color, but with virtually NO budget (or talent) at all. Most are familiar with the stock footage reused from TARZAN THE APE MAN, TARZAN AND HIS MATE (both filmed in B&W, by the way) and KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1950), plus a major prop recycled from THE PRODIGAL (1955). But let's dive further...
The producer was Al Zimbalist. This is the man responsible for such "classics" as ROBOT MONSTER (oh, geez!!!), CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON, KING DINOSAUR and VALLEY OF THE DRAGONS. Need I say more? WHAT was MGM thinking? Across town, Sy Weintraub was kicking A** reinvigorating the Tarzan series with TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE, and followed it up with TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT, and MGM gave us THIS? Why? WHY? (Yes, I know, "remakes" always seem like a good idea to soul-less, talent-less accountants.)
THIS was the film, no doubt, that inspired me to often yell at my TV while watching jungle movies, "SEE Tarzan battle the STUFFED LEOPARD!"
Denny Miller, a handsome, likable enough guy, surprisingly had quite a career doing mostly supporting roles in TV shows for decades after this. A shame this wasn't a MUCH-better film than it was.
Cesare Danove, whose "Harry Holt" isn't one fraction as likable as Neil Hamilton's was in the original, also had quite a successful career, but in my mind, will forever be remembered as "Carmine", the Mayor in ANIMAL HOUSE (1978).
Robert Douglas, almost invisible as Jane's father, actually appeared in some prestige films over the years, including THE FOUNTAINHEAD, IVANHOE, the 1952 remake of THE PRISONER OF ZENDA, KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADERs, and much later, was the voice of "Prince Barin" in the epic Filmation cartoon FLASH GORDON: THE GREATEST ADVENTURE OF ALL (1979).
Joanna Barnes, who's almost lifeless as "Jane", also had quite a career in TV over the years, but the one thing she really stands out in my mind for is something I was never able to see until last year: 21 BEACON STREET, a short-lived summer replacement series that apparently helped inspire MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. I doubt this film did her any favors.
One thing (among countless others) I couldn't figure. Since Denny's (they never once call him Tarzan) "tree-house" was much-more cozy & civilized than the tree-bound lean-to in the 1932 film was, WHY did Jane act so terrified of him when she woke up there? (Let's just call it "bad writing" and leave it at that.)